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Sunny Brae Middle

Q: Is Sunny Brae Middle a good school?

Sunny Brae Middle ranks 1177 th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1177^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 57% of California middle schools

Summary

Sunny Brae Middle is a public school serving about 230 students in grades 6-8 in Arcata, part of the Arcata Elementary district, and it presents a unique mix of significant strengths alongside a major challenge.

The school's standout strength is its exceptional effectiveness with certain student groups, showing remarkable recent improvement in supporting special education students and achieving a high-performance ranking for Hispanic students that outpaces all nearby schools. Academically, it performs better than several other local schools with similar or higher economic need, such as Fortuna Middle and Catherine L. Zane Middle, particularly in mathematics. However, the school faces a serious and distinct issue with chronic absenteeism, with a rate of 40%, which is more than double that of nearby schools like Freshwater Charter Middle (11.8%) and Fortuna Middle (16.6%).

This high absenteeism creates a puzzling situation because, despite it, the school maintains average academic results, suggesting it is very effective with students who attend regularly. With the highest per-student spending in the area at nearly $21,000, the school has substantial resources. An interesting comparison is with the smaller Freshwater Charter Middle, which achieves higher test scores with similar demographics and much lower spending, highlighting that resources alone don't determine outcomes. Overall, Sunny Brae is a school with dedicated resources and clear successes in specific areas, but addressing attendance is likely its most critical path to improving outcomes for all students.

232

Students ?

17.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,923

Per pupil spending ?

54.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1430 Buttermilk Ln.
Arcata, CA 95521-6910

(707) 822-5988

District: Arcata Elementary

Students who attend Sunny Brae Middle usually attend:

High:

Arcata High

Feeder schools for Sunny Brae Middle:

Elementary:

Arcata Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.7%

Hispanic:

23.7%

Two or more races:

15.1%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Sunny Brae Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 52nd percentile in 2022 → 57th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 57th (2025) from a 52nd-percentile low (2022)

✓Above the California median (57th percentile)

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (40% vs 19% California)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school38%

District avg35%

California avg41%

1,177^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 43%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From top 29% (2015) to top 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	50.0	1177 of 2761	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.8	1320 of 2783	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	1300 of 2781	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	1309 of 2740	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.1	267 of 894	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	65.4	783 of 2715	71.2%	★★★★☆
2018	57.8	895 of 2480	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.0	864 of 2508	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.2	707 of 2497	71.7%	★★★★☆
2015	67.3	707 of 2477	71.5%	★★★★☆
2013	74.6	468 of 2379	80.3%	★★★★☆
2012	83.1	230 of 2259	89.8%	★★★★☆
2011	78.5	325 of 2236	85.5%	★★★★☆
2010	73.8	460 of 2179	78.9%	★★★★☆
2009	86.1	163 of 2063	92.1%	★★★★★
2008	84.4	207 of 2005	89.7%	★★★★☆
2007	88.7	150 of 1999	92.5%	★★★★★
2006	80.8	279 of 1804	84.5%	★★★★☆
2005	75.1	365 of 1777	79.5%	★★★★☆
2004	70.2	424 of 1769	76.0%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	51.2	547 of 1531	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.9	76 of 354	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	88 of 1491	94.1%	★★★★★
2018	63.8	318 of 1369	76.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.7	1355 of 2533	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.9	1415 of 2551	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	1059 of 2531	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	40.1	1345 of 2509	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	70.4	184 of 738	75.1%	★★★★☆
2019	65.6	712 of 2380	70.1%	★★★★☆
2018	46.0	1119 of 2262	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.7	465 of 2395	80.6%	★★★★☆
2024	56.2	827 of 2388	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.2	1626 of 2374	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	25.9	1789 of 2359	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	50.8	922 of 2213	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	44.1	1266 of 2542	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.1	1102 of 2579	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	37.3	1445 of 2531	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	1233 of 2458	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	75.2	119 of 721	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	64.2	628 of 2369	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	47.7	1030 of 2230	53.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	913 of 2534	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.2	1034 of 2552	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.6	1321 of 2538	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	1088 of 2527	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.9	290 of 763	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.3	796 of 2407	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	622 of 2273	72.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	18.4	603 of 726	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.1	596 of 665	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.8	568 of 1566	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	27.2	1201 of 1552	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.9	482 of 1531	68.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	1091 of 1520	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.3	1056 of 1537	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.9	1028 of 1543	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.5	947 of 1555	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	773 of 1602	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.8	950 of 1496	36.5%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2025)81st percentile+23 vs school

Disabled (2022)64th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2025)64th percentile+7 vs school

Special Education (2025)64th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)50th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)47th percentile-11 vs school

White (2025)28th percentile-29 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)17th percentile-40 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy46%-3 vs state

Mathematics32%-5 vs state

Science32%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Sunny Brae Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sunny Brae Middle	Public	6-8	1430 Buttermilk Ln.	Arcata	95521	Humboldt County	Arcata Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 822-5988	232	13	17.3	54.3%	127 (54.7%)	2 (0.9%)	55 (23.7%)	6 (2.6%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (15.1%)	50	1177^th of 2761 public middle schools	57.4%		44.8	1320^th of 2783 public middle schools	52.6%	143		32.0	32.0			32.9	61.8	44.6	46.2			32.9	36.2	28.4	32.4	$20,923	$4,240	$16,683
Freshwater Charter Middle	Public, Charter	7-8	75 Greenwood Heights Dr.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Freshwater Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 442-2969	51	2	25.5	47.1%	32 (62.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (27.5%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.8%)	67.6	722^nd of 2761 public middle schools	73.9%		76.6	553^rd of 2783 public middle schools	80.1%	169		32.0	32.0				64.0	60.0	62.0				36.0	44.0	40.0	$3,642	$104	$3,538
Catherine L. Zane Middle	Public	6-8	2155 S St.	Eureka	95501	Humboldt County	Eureka City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 441-2470	417	21	20.3	63.1%	143 (34.3%)	6 (1.4%)	137 (32.9%)	31 (7.4%)	20 (4.8%)	6 (1.4%)	74 (17.7%)	31.2	1788^th of 2761 public middle schools	35.2%		41.1	1426^th of 2783 public middle schools	48.8%	362		24.0	24.0			31.7	40.2	46.1	39.5			13.9	23.8	15.8	17.9	$16,983	$1,890	$15,093
McKinleyville Middle	Public	6-8	2285 Central Ave.	McKinleyville	95519	Humboldt County	McKinleyville Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 839-1508	302	17	17.9	53.3%	185 (61.3%)	2 (0.7%)	48 (15.9%)	2 (0.7%)	23 (7.6%)	1 (0.3%)	39 (12.9%)	32.8	1724^th of 2761 public middle schools	37.6%		35.1	1620^th of 2783 public middle schools	41.8%	104		31.5	31.5			22.7	36.8	30.6	30.0			22.9	23.2	30.6	25.8	$15,792	$1,575	$14,217
Winship Middle	Public	6-8	2500 Cypress Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	Eureka City Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 441-2487	413	22	18.9	59.1%	198 (47.9%)	4 (1.0%)	102 (24.7%)	41 (9.9%)	21 (5.1%)	4 (1.0%)	43 (10.4%)	42.4	1414^th of 2761 public middle schools	48.8%		35.1	1618^th of 2783 public middle schools	41.9%	204		31.5	31.5			31.6	44.1	44.7	41.9			13.2	31.0	29.0	26.8	$16,829	$1,926	$14,903
South Bay Elementary	Public	4-6	6077 Loma Ave.	Eureka	95503	Humboldt County	South Bay Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 443-4828	141	6	23.5	84.4%	65 (46.1%)	4 (2.8%)	41 (29.1%)	3 (2.1%)	6 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (15.6%)								(n/a)	29.8		29.8	23.4	40.4	41.9			35.0	25.5	21.3	23.3			23.4	$19,487	$2,049	$17,438
Fortuna Middle	Public	7-8	843 L St.	Fortuna	95540	Humboldt County	Fortuna Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(707) 725-3415	231	18	13.1	78.4%	98 (42.4%)	4 (1.7%)	94 (40.7%)	2 (0.9%)	14 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (8.2%)	36	1620^th of 2761 public middle schools	41.3%		22.2	2166^th of 2783 public middle schools	22.2%	546		28.9	28.9				49.0	30.8	39.2				26.5	15.8	20.7	$14,549	$1,255	$13,294

Frequently Asked Questions about Sunny Brae Middle

What high school do graduates of Sunny Brae Middle attend?

Students who attend Sunny Brae Middle usually go on to attend Arcata High

What is the racial makeup of Sunny Brae Middle?

Students at Sunny Brae Middle are 55% White, 24% Hispanic, 15% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% American Indian, 1% Not Specified.

Is Sunny Brae Middle a good school?

Sunny Brae Middle ranks 1177^th of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Sunny Brae Middle in?

Arcata Elementary

How many students attend Sunny Brae Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 232 students attended Sunny Brae Middle.

Rate Sunny Brae Middle!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.